Global Consulting Projects

The mission of Chazen Institute global experiences is to develop future leaders with a global mindset and to expose students to new business cultures, environments and challenges. Global Consulting Projects encourage Columbia Business School MBA students to gain hands-on knowledge of international management by advising a sponsor company on a semester-long global challenge.

How it works

The Chazen Institute sources various projects from across industries. Students are also welcome to propose or source their own opportunities targeting their learning goals and interests.

Students work on projects throughout the fall or spring semester as an Independent Study course. Teams of 3-4 students will bring a diverse set of skills and backgrounds to the project. If travel is appropriate, students travel in January for fall projects, and March for spring projects.

For the Fall 2018 semester, Chazen is partnering with Citi Ventures to source three projects for students to work on and to ensure students have the support they need throughout the projects. Student teams will match with internal Citi teams to partner on the projects. Each team is assigned a Citi Mentor/Project Manager who guides and coaches the team.

Teams will meet virtually or in-person on a weekly basis with their mentor, and then will present their findings and recommendations at the mid-point and end of the semester to senior Citi stakeholders and the sponsors. Expect to spend 7-10 hours per week on each project.

Current Projects

Citibanamex - Consumer Banking Products

Organizational Overview
Consumer banking products is a central piece of the business. It is responsible for about 65 percent of the total revenue and contributes with 70 percent of the EBIT. The area is organized in nine different sub areas: 1. Credit Cards, 2. Personal Lending, 3. Deposits and Investments products, 4. Sales, Commercialization and Regulatory Entities, 5. Discovery Lab, 6. Planning and Development, 7. Operational Risk & Control, 8. Business Solutions and 9. Business Management.

Project Description and Expected Outcomes
On October 29th, Mexico’s Central Bank enacted a new regulation related to Payroll Loans. This law changes the game rules significantly and the business now is facing the challenge to comply with the regulations and create a profitable and sustainable business model.

Currently, we are working on 6 work streams: 1. Legal & Compliance / Fairness, 2. Internal Processes, 3. Central Entity, 4. Financial Impact sizing, 5. Business Opportunities and 6. New Payroll business model.

Objectives & Deliverables

Elaborate a profound analysis on identifying all the impacts
Negotiate and delimit how collection variables like DTI, payment priority, etc. should be handled and shared with another banks.
Define and design new customer experience.
Develop New Business / Risk opportunities.
New Payroll Business Model: Define and build new models for Profit Sharing, DDAs, ATM investment, etc.

Preferred Background of MBA student team:

Credit or risk experience highly appreciated.
Strong Analytic skills.
Results oriented.
Strong communication skills (verbal and written).
Ability to interact with all levels and in matrix structures
Customer oriented.
Presentation and negotiation skills.

Citibanamex - Bsmart Product Differentiation

Organizational Overview
Credit Cards is the most representative business and is number one on wallet share in the Market. There is a competitive offer in the market, in which Citibanamex Cards stands out mainly for entertainment Presales, 0% APR offers and for a variety of promotions.

Within this range of products, Core Cards (Bsmart, Clasica, Oro), represent over 50% of total accounts and 47% of total revenue.

Bsmart was originally released as the young segment’s credit card. It was, by that time, a different product, either innovative or secure; and targeted to young people.

Over the years, this product has been relevant to the business, however is no longer different or innovative.

Project Description and Expected Outcomes
The business problem to solve is to differentiate the product in the market (internally and externally). At its launch it was a product to break the market as an innovative product and with the latest technology (chip). We have identified the need to relaunch its value offer and to promote a safe, innovative and digital product.

Objectives & Deliverables:

Analyze young segment subject to credit in Mexico, understand its needs and opportunities in the market
Find the right differentiator in the market to fulfill young segment’s needs
Revamp Bsmart Value Offer

Generate a deep dive to the competition identifying needs and opportunities to win market share
Develop a full market research, with focus groups (quantitative and qualitative)
Present a document that contains the analysis and results, as well as what is to be implemented and how (communication channels, internal, external media)
Present metrics once the strategy is implemented

Preferred work background of MBA student team:

Analysis and market research
Be familiar with a business case
Present to senior management
Preparation of an executive document
Question the status-quo of the product and its processes, controls, contact with customers and training to support areas
Coordination of meetings with other involved areas

Arlington - Global Autoparts Supply

Organizational Overview
Arlington is a UK-based company formed to capitalize on the global consolidation of the automotive supply chain. The Arlington is a portfolio company of Cartesian Capital Group, a global Private Equity firm with a focus on emerging markets.

Travel Overview
Travel Location: Germany and potentially São Paulo, Brazil
Travel Dates: Tentatively Spring Break
Max. Reimbursement: All travel and expenses. Stipend may be available.

Project Overview
The client is a major supplier of complex thermostats to the automotive industry. It is in the process of completing (awaiting merger approval) of an acquisition of its most significant competitor – the thermostat division of Borg Warner, a Fortune 500 auto parts supplier. This will cement its leadership in design and manufacture of thermostats.

One area neither the existing company nor the European group of the acquisition has capitalized on is the aftermarket thermostat business. Historically, Borg Warner Thermostats has marketed its products to the aftermarket via its parent’s aftermarket group. The company is looking to bring its aftermarket thermostats directly to market quickly and needs help to develop a go-to-market strategy.

The company has had great success in the aftermarket in Brazil, however that part of the company has been run independently. Nonetheless, there are likely learnings from the Brazilian division that would translate to U.K. and Europe. Part of the project will be determining those learnings and assessing the ability to translate them to the U.K. and Europe.

Deliverables

Go-To-Market Plan: Roadmap for product launch with evaluation of top channels and top players to approach.

Language Requirements
At least one German-speaking member of the team and ideally one Portuguese-speaking member as well.

Skills Requested

Business strategy and planning.
Market and competitive research.
Sales and Business development.

Brilia - Smart Lighting

The client has developed the first Brazilian integrated solution for smart (connected) lightning, complete with wireless light switches and outlets and a proprietary software for operation through iOS and Android smartphones and connection to integrated assistants such as Alexa.
The company is looking to bring those products to market quickly and needs help to develop a go-to-market strategy for the corporate market. In addition to traditional retail channels, the company is also looking to partner with residential real estate developers to outfit condos with their solutions as well as assess other additional opportunities.
Seeking students with experience in business strategy and planning, market and competitive research and sales and business development to create a Retail Go-To-Market Plan: Roadmap for product launch through retailers/on-line with evaluation of top channels (on-line, specialty stores, supermarkets, others) and top players to approach a Residential Development Go-To-Market Plan: Roadmap for product launch through residential developers with evaluation of top players to approach and an evaluation of other potential channels/markets not yet mapped.
Travel to Brazil over spring break will be covered; at least one Portuguese speaking team member required.

Learning opportunities and benefits

Explore a new industry and role as part of the career planning process.
Explore a business challenge on a global scale.
Complete a paper or recommendation for the sponsor for academic credit.

Eligibility and how to apply

To participate, students must be receiving credit for their projects by working with a faculty member on an Independent Study as per OSA guidelines.

Please apply as a group of 3-4 students. Applications are due Feb. 1 at 12:00 pm. Students should submit a statement of interest and resumes for all team members to chazen@columbia.edu. Please identify the project you are interested in; you may list multiple projects ranked by order of interest.